I left it late to book into this one, waiting to see what the weather would do, as it was just going to be cold (very cold) with no snow, I weighed up if fishing or staying at home/pub and sky footie would be best - fishing won.
Supposedly 15 today, but a couple of no shows knocked the numbers back, that saw both match & speci lakes used, I once again drew the match lake, peg 11. The ice breaker made its first appearance of the season, although the ice was that annoying thickness, you know, the one that shatters when you chuck the ice breaker in. Nice thick ice you can cut into sections, the thinner stuff shatters into loads of pieces. The thermometer in the water didn't change from 2°C all day and the air temp didn't get above 0°C, it was -5.5°C getting out of the car and -3.0°C getting back in.
I had a nice area cleared, that gave me a 9m line toward my right and similar length lie to my left, by the time the all-in was shouted, most of it had frozen back over.
I also cleared the RH margin up to the next pallet and to save posting loads of waffle, thats where my fish came from, 8 of them all perch, taken mostly on caster, but one or two on maggot. Frustratingly I lost 8 fish, all perch, they seemed to be only just hooked.
By 13.30 the margin had refrozen to the point of making it necessary to rebreak the ice, I went for a stroll round the lake after and came back to add three more perch (and the biggest ones) to my net.
The lost perch probably cost me, not sure if it was the hook (couldn't see anything wrong and it was sharp), the fact that the elastic was freezing in the pole couldn't have helped. I managed 5lb 2oz for fourth place and enough money back to have a couple of beers on the way home.
1) Dean (Chub Slayer) Malin 8.14 peg 40 (6 chub)
2) Tony (corner peg) Rixon 8.11 peg 24
3) John Bradford 5.11 peg 19
4) Chris Fox 5.02 peg 11
5) Martin Lengahan 4.02 peg 3
6) Martin Pettifer 1.12 peg 15
Going to try an open on New Years Eve this year and see if its worthwhile, so if anyone fancies it it give me a ring or let Misha at Trinity know and she'll ring me. Trinty Waters, Woodland Lake draw 08.45, fish 10.00-15.00, usual format, overall + silvers payout.
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